


Lament of the White Lady

by TwoCrows



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternative Universe – Ghosts, Amnesia, Attempted Murder, Bad Parenting, Demonic Possession, Family Feels, Gen, Magic Rituals, Reiji and Shun are childhood friends, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 08:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20963495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoCrows/pseuds/TwoCrows
Summary: White Lady: A female ghost who foreshadows the death of a family member of those who see her. She is often associated to have died in a state of serenity.Reiji’s life takes an unexpected turn with the birth of his new little sister. But his new happiness is overshadowed by the repeated appearance of a strange, white apparition. When he faces her in an attempt to get answers, however, she reveals that fate doesn’t have any nice plans with him. As he struggles to find a way to overcome it, he finds himself more and more entangled in the shadows of his own past. A past he never wanted to face again.NOTE: I've reuploaded this story because of technical issues. It should be readable on mobile phones now. If you still have problems, please contact me again.





	Lament of the White Lady

**Author's Note:**

> After a long pause I’m finally back with my first fic exploring the Akaba family. Reiji may seem a bit out of character at first, but I assure you there’s a reason for that. Anyway, please enjoy.

Thunder rolled outside, accentuated by the monotonous sound of rain clattering against the window. From time to time a dazzling streak of lightning flashed across the sky, bathing the crouched houses in its pale light.

Reiji sighed and turned his gaze back inside, staring at the blank wall across him. He wondered how long it might take until they would let him inside. How long until he finally met his new sibling? 

The light flickered and he looked up. Hopefully there wouldn’t be another blackout. The mere drive to the hospital had been enough of an adventure. 

Blood-curdling wails had come from the back seat when his mother was shaken by labour pains. His usually so calm and stoic father had been in complete panic. When he failed to insert the car key with his shaking hands, Reiji had taken it upon himself to drive them here. At some parts the street lamps had malfunctioned and it had been nearly impossible to see the road. Fortunately there were only few people crazy enough to be out in such a storm and so they managed to make it to the hospital in one peace… and in time. 

His father had been allowed to accompany her into the delivery room, but the nurses asked Reiji to stay outside. Probably they didn’t want too many people to stand in the way, so he had sat down in the corridor and tried to schedule himself in patience. 

A sibling… He still wasn’t sure how to feel about it. After his mother had told him he’d become a big brother, he had spent days trying to imagine what it would be like. Would it be a boy or a girl? What food were they going to like? What hobbies would they have? Would they like sports? 

He sighed again. There was so much to wonder about and in the end he hadn’t found a single answer. All of that was still a long way away. 

He noticed his eyes repeatedly drifted to the door his mother was lying behind. He hoped she’d be okay. After all she was in her forties already and her first birth had been nineteen years ago. The day the he was born. 

Thunder rolled again, very close this time, the lights flickered and went out completely. Reiji’s eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the sudden darkness. Then they caught a glimpse of something, a faint shimmer, that wasn’t coming from an electric light. He darted around and for a moment he saw something, a figure, which was standing in the corridor. Long white robes flowed around it, although there wasn’t the tiniest bit of wind in here. With the next flash of lightning it was gone. 

He jumped from his seat and froze for a second. What the hell was this? Or… had he just imagined it? 

Carefully he walked over to the spot where the figure had stood. He looked into the corridors on the left and right. Nothing. Then he stepped to the window and glanced out. Not a trace as well. 

With a quiet hum the lamps came back to life and Reiji blinked in the sudden brightness. What a strange phantasm. Or was he dreaming? 

Behind him a door opened. “Akaba-san? You can come in now.” 

He turned to the nurse, unable to comprehend his words at first. Then he nodded and followed him. 

  
  


“It’s a girl, Reiji!” his father shouted and almost cracked one of his ribs when he hugged him tighter than he ever had before.

“Yes, I get it, father”, he said and carefully hugged him back. The sturdy man gave him another squeeze before he let go and Reiji had a first chance to take a look at the little one. 

On the first glance it looked like an unshapely piece of meat, its skin covered with a red, slimy paste. And yet his mother cradled it like the most valuable treasure. 

Then it moved and began to let out a piercing scream of irritation, annoyance and general discontent and suddenly Reiji couldn’t help but feel pitiful for it. No – for _her_. She looked so helpless, so tiny, a pathetic little thing that had just been put into this huge world. 

He reached out his finger and stroked over her big, round cheek. The baby stopped crying and slowly opened her screwed-up eyes, sending him a look which, somehow, pierced him to the very core. He thought he had never seen anything this cute before. 

He crooked his finger a little, tickled her belly. She gave out a small laugh. Suddenly a tiny hand clasped his fingertip and held it in place. The baby laughed again. Reiji turned to his parents and found them both staring at him in bewilderment. 

“W-What?” he asked confused. 

“Reiji-san, you are…” 

“…smiling.” 

He blinked, first at his mother, then at his father. 

R-Right. There… There was indeed a smile on his face. The baby laughed again and Reiji turned back to her. 

“Wow… You even made me smile now, did you?” he muttered as he gently tickled her belly and slowly wandered up to her chin. “What is her name?” he asked his parents. 

Both of them exchanged a glance. 

“We… haven’t decided on one yet”, his father said. 

His mother gave the baby in her arm a loving gaze. “She seems to like you”, she muttered. “How about you give her one, Reiji-san?” 

“E-Err… Me?” Reiji repeated surprised. This was the last thing he had expected. Well… of course he had come up with a few names, listened to the sound of them and scrapped them again, but… He had never thought… 

The baby gave out another laugh as she tried to snatch his finger with her tiny hands. 

“Then… How about… Reira? Would you like that?” The baby let out a joyful squeal and Reiji let her take his finger. “Then that’s settled. I’m your big brother, Reiji. It’s nice to meet you, Reira-chan.” 

He gave his parents a glance and they nodded gladly. 

So, from now on he had a little sister. 

  


* * *

  


It was strange, Reiji thought, to have their once quiet mansion suddenly filled with so much noise. Reira’s laughter as well as her cries resounded throughout the halls the Akabas had roamed for several generations. The little girl sure had a lot of stamina when it came to being loud, although once she’d run out of strength she’d be asleep for hours sometimes.

Even weirder was how his parents changed. Reiji had tried to picture them taking care of a baby, feeding them with a little spoon or singing lullabies to them. He had tried and failed. And yet, here they were, taking Reira for a walk through the garden, acting all lovey-dovey as if they were in their twenties again. It was hard to recognise the collected and business-focused parents he had known anymore. 

Of course, he was happy too, seeing the little girl grow day by day. She had developed a special fondness for him and most of her tantrums faded the moment he took her in his arm and began to cradle her. 

“You are a natural, Reiji-san”, his mother said to him after he had rocked a crying Reira back to sleep. 

“Thank you”, he replied, though he was barely able to feel any grateful for being called that. 

_A natural… _

He had grown sick of hearing that word. People always seemed to use it when they were talking about him. When they commented on him finishing high school as the valedictorian, when they heard he had enrolled at college with the highest score at the entrance exam, or when they talked about the trophies he had won when he was younger. They would always forget the topic with a simple ‘Well, he’s a natural’. They always ignored how much time and effort it had taken him to get that far. 

Of course, Reiji knew he was more talented than other people. But he had never thought that would include taking care of a baby as well. Still, he found himself spend every free minute with Reira, feeding the little girl when she was hungry, playing with her when she wanted to play, bringing her to bed when she was tired. 

“Say, Reiji-san, when are you going to have children of your own?” his mother asked, her gaze trailing off to the willows that lined the river running behind their property. 

“I don’t know”, he replied, listening to the faint rustling of the leaves. 

To be honest he didn’t see himself marrying any time soon. He had rarely been on a date before and he couldn’t say that he liked it. So he had decided to finish university first before he thought of starting a family. And besides… the way Reira clung to him, it was hardly any different than having own children. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled the soft smell the wind carried over from the hills, a smell of fresh grass and old trees, a little cold, but not unpleasant. 

When he had been younger, he had stridden this land so many times. It felt so familiar, an old friend who seemed to wait for him to explore its secrets once more. 

Was Reira going to like it too, running through the heath or seeking the most interesting spot to cross the river like he had? Reiji would be more than glad if she did. One day, when she was bigger. 

Suddenly he felt something out of place, a hint of sadness that was different from his nostalgic thoughts. He opened his eyes and gazed around, trying to make out the origin of that feeling, but… there was nothing unusual. Just their mansion, the garden, enclosed by a few old beeches, and the wild meadows beyond. He focused harder on the sensation and after a while he thought he could feel someone staring at him from afar. His eyes caught a small movement in one of the trees and for a brief moment he thought he could see something white sitting on one of the higher branches. 

“Reiji-san, is something wrong?” his mother asked. 

His eyes flickered to her and back to the tree, but the thing was gone, as well as the strange feeling that had nagged at him. 

“No”, he muttered. “I just thought I… uh, nothing. Forget it.” 

His mother let her gaze wander over the hills in the distance and suddenly she shuddered. 

“It’s gotten pretty cold, hasn’t it? We better go back inside.” 

“Yeah”, Reiji replied and got up. He gave the spot where he had caught the glimpse of white a last look before he followed her inside. 

  


* * *

  


In that night he was woken by Reira’s usual screaming. As he staggered out of bed and reached for his glasses, he couldn’t help but notice she had developed quite a talent to steal their sleep. Actually he should practise for his upcoming exams, but as long as Reira woke him every three hours, he’d hardly be able to do anything productive.

With a loud yawn he flicked on the light in her room and lifted the crying baby out of her cot. 

“You know, Reira-chan. I bet father and mother would appreciate it as well if you could sleep at night and be awake in the daytime.” 

Of course she didn’t understand him and so he proceeded to carry her to the bathroom and changed her napkins. After he had brought her back to bed and made sure she was sleeping again, he was about to get to his room, when suddenly his feet stopped moving. His eyes grew wide as they met the person standing in the corridor. 

She was standing with her back to him and seemingly gazed out of the window. Long, silken garments flowed around her and gently hugged her figure. A tulle veil fell from her head down her shoulders, covering her long, wine-red hair which was the only thing about her that wasn’t purely white. 

“W-Who… Who are you?” Reiji muttered. 

He was distantly aware that he was gawking at her, but how couldn’t he? She was the most graceful thing he had ever laid eyes on. 

An iridescent, pearly shimmer flashed over her garments as she turned her head and suddenly Reiji was torn out of his amazement when her eyes met his. Her gaze was so full of sadness his heart stopped beating for a moment. 

The young woman turned back to the window and before Reiji had realised what she was going to do, she somehow passed through the glass and disappeared. 

For a moment he remained frozen on the spot. Then he bolted to the window and gazed out into the night, but all he saw was the tall, black figure of the beech in front of the window which loomed silently into the dark sky. 

  


* * *

  


Reiji didn’t tell anyone what he had seen. They’d simply dismiss it as a dream, at least if he was lucky, but he was sure it had been real. He found himself thinking of her while he tried to follow his lectures or rocked Reira to sleep. Her gaze had been… so full of grief and… yes, of sympathy.

But… But why? What could there be to arouse her sympathy? What…? 

“Oh! If that isn’t the young Reiji-sama”, a voice interrupted his thoughts. “I haven’t seen you here in years.” 

Reiji shaded his eyes and turned to the woman who was standing in the field below him. Scattered strands of grey shimmered in her chestnut hair and years of field work had carved her face, but she still smiled at him the way she had when he had been just a kid. 

“Yasuko-san? What a surprise to see you here.” 

“As it is for me. My goodness, you have grown tall.” She examined him from head to toe. Then she sighed. “Well, well. Time doesn’t stop for no one.” 

Suddenly her eyes widened as she remembered something and she reached into the little bag that was hanging from her belt. 

“Say, would you like to have a few berries with me? Just like in the good old days?” 

Yasuko-san gave him a roguish grin and held up a large Bilberry. Reiji opened his mouth to refuse, but then he hesitated. 

_The good old days… _

He nodded. 

They sat down on a patch of grass and Yasuko-san put the bag between them. Reiji reached into it and considered the currant he pulled out, before he put it into his mouth. As it burst on his tongue, the sweet but also sour taste spread in his mouth and brought back memories of days long passed. He had come here often because of the wild panorama of the verdant fields and the dream-laden flow of the river. When he met Yasuko-san on his way, they’d talk about this and that and sometimes she’d make a break and they’d have berries together. He tried to recall the reason he stopped coming, but something made him hesitate and he quickly tried to think of something else. 

“So, Reiji-sama”, Yasuko-san began. “What has made you come here?” 

Reiji looked down at his hands, curled and uncurled them. “What has made me come here”, he echoed. Slowly he drew in a breath and let his gaze wander across the crops which wafted back and forth in the breeze, over the blue ribbon that wound beneath them, disappearing behind a hill only to reappear after half a mile. 

“I’m not sure”, he said. “Maybe I wanted to see the places again which I have wandered back then. Maybe I… just wanted some place where I could think. Or… did I…” 

His voice caught. After a few seconds he noticed he was staring at his knee and his eyes flicked to Yasuko-san. Her back was resting against a rock and she had tilted her head back to enjoy the warmth the sun was casting over her face, though Reiji surmised her half-lidded eye was watching him attentively. 

“I’m sorry”, he muttered. “I’m not making much sense.” 

She didn’t respond. Reiji took another berry and gazed over the downs. After a while he noticed his gaze was drawn to a spot on the top of a bald hill on the other side of the river. He remembered having spent a lot of time there, mainly because his parents had told him to keep away from it. They said it was eerie. 

“Say, Yasuko-san. The hill over there…” He paused for a moment, gazed at the three raises which stood there. “It’s called Gallows Hill, isn’t it? Were there really people being hanged there?” 

The woman opened her eyes and followed his gaze. “I remember you asking me that before.”

“Really?” 

“Yes. It was back then in that time when you and the young Kurosaki-san would always go to places you should’ve rather stayed away from. Your mother tried to stop you back then, but I already knew you wouldn’t be satisfied until you had seen every little secret place among these hills.” Her eyes trailed off to the hill and a shadow fell on her face. 

“Gallows Hill…” she muttered. “Yes. There have been gallows standing up there. But for more than two-hundred years no one has been killed there and they were taken down at some point. Still, most people avoid that place. It always leaves a bitter taste in their mouth when they see it.” 

“I see.” After a moment Reiji realised when she said ‘most people’, that probably included herself. “I-I’m sorry.” 

She merely shook her head. “I don’t blame you for being curious. But let’s talk about something else. How are your parents doing? I rarely see any of them nowadays.” 

Reiji once more noticed what an unswervingly buoyant attitude she had. 

“They’re doing fine”, he said and lowered his gaze. “Father is still busy with the company and mother… she mainly takes care of my little sister.” 

Her eyes grew wide as she considered him with a surprised stare. “My goodness! You have a sister?! For how long?” 

“Just six months”, Reiji replied. 

“Oh. Then… tell them my congratulations.” Her excited smile grew a little thoughtful and she lowered her gaze. “Who would’ve thought? In their age…” 

“Yeah”, Reiji agreed with a faint smile. “I hadn’t expected it either.” 

They remained quiet for a while. Then she stretched herself and got to her feet. “I guess I should get back to work.” 

Reiji nodded and handed her the bag. It was almost full. Part of him thought back then he wouldn’t have left a tiny one of them. Suddenly an idea struck him and he felt stupid for not having thought of it sooner. 

“Umm… If… Could I take a few berries for Reira-chan?” 

“Is that the name of your sister?” she asked. “What a pretty name. Of course. Take as much as you like.” 

Awkwardly he filled a few berries into his hand and tried not to feel like a thief. Yasuko-san grinned as she attached the bag to her belt again. 

“Goodbye, young Reiji-sama.” 

“Goodbye, Yasuko-san.” 

She smiled and walked back into the field. 

“Yasuko-san!” he called out and she stopped. “It was nice talking to you.” 

She gave him a smile and vanished into the sea of crops. Reiji took a deep breath before he turned around and began the walk home. 

  


* * *

  


“I’m here to see chairman Akaba. He asked me to bring him a few documents.”

“Umm… Yes… Wait a moment”, the woman at the reception said perplexed. 

Reiji nodded and let his gaze wander through the lobby as she made a call. His last visit had to be half a year ago already, but nothing had really changed. The plants looked a little different and there was a different set of chairs next to the entrance, but aside from that everything looked just the same. He could’ve sworn even the receptionist was the same as half a year ago. 

“The chairman says he’s going to see you now. He’s on the twelfth floor, conference room one. Umm…” 

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but then she closed her mouth and nervously cast down her eyes. 

“Thank you. I’ll find the way”, Reiji said as he passed her and went for the lift. 

“Umm… But-” 

He wasn’t able to hear what she said because the doors of the lift closed with a ping and the little display in the wall began to count up the number of floors. When it reached twelve, he got off and walked down the corridor until he found a sign which read ‘conference room one’. He knocked and a second later he heard the reply from his father. 

When he entered the room, fifteen heads, including that of his father, turned to him. Many of them had grey hair already and all of them wore business suits, aside from the two female attendants. 

“I brought you the documents you requested, father”, he said. 

“Ah, thank you, Reiji, umm…” He interrupted himself and began to stare at him, just like the other people were. 

“What… What is she doing here?” he asked stunned. 

Reiji glanced at Reira who was sleeping in the baby sling which he had wrapped around his chest, her head resting against his shoulder. Drool was dripping from her mouth and soaked his shirt a little. He sighed. 

“Nakajima-san is still on holiday and mother had an appointment with her doctor, so there was no one else who could take care of her.” 

“Uh-Umm… Yes”, his father muttered, still staring at the drooling girl on his back when Reiji handed him the folder. 

“You know”, Reiji began reproachfully. “If you would take a day off from time to time, you could take care of her as well.” 

“Yeah. Right. Thank you, Reiji, umm…” his father said perplexed. 

Reiji rolled his eyes. “Bye, father”, he said. “And please don’t forget you promised mother you’d have dinner with us this weekend.” Then he turned around and left the dumbfounded circle of businessmen and –woman to whatever it was they were discussing. 

  
  


As he walked back to the lift, Reira began to stir on his back, slowly awakening from her slumber.

“And? Did you sleep well?” Reiji asked, stroking over her fluffy head. Reira let out a laugh and tried to grab his hand, a game which she hadn’t given up yet. 

“Now, which way are we supposed to go?” he asked as he stepped into the lift. “Up to the roof? Or down to the bottom?” 

“Up! Up! Up!” Reira shouted excited, shaking from one side to the other. 

“Then it’s decided”, Reiji said and pushed the button at the top. “We’re going up.” 

Smoothly the lift went upwards, arriving on the roof one minute later. A rough wind was blowing up here and Reiji checked on the sling around his chest to make sure it wouldn’t come undone if Reira shook too much. To his surprise the girl gave out a yawn. 

“What’s this? Tired already?” 

Reira gave him a long glance and her lids began to fall. 

“Alright, I get it”, he said with a smile. “We’ll get back to the car in a minute.” 

Reira’s tiny hands dug into the fabric of his shirt and she snuggled against his shoulder. Reiji considered her for a few seconds, before he walked to the railing and let his gaze wander over the city. 

The traffic was running below him, thousands of cars, busses and trams which passed the streets every day. People were walking the sidewalks, some of them entering a café, others leaving a shop. Although it was so different from the rural life at the mansion, Reiji just now realised how used he had gotten to it. Until middle school he had received private tuition, before his parents had agreed to let him go to an official high school. He still knew how uncomfortable he had felt on his first day. 

But it hadn’t stayed very long. He had first attended high school and later university and before he knew it, he had become part of it, had integrated into it like it had always been that way. 

_It was back then in that time when you and young Kurosaki-san wouldn’t stop going to places you should’ve rather stayed away from. Your mother tried to stop you back then, but I already knew you wouldn’t be satisfied until you had seen every little secret place among these hills._

Shun… Had they really been like that back then? Ah, yes. He remembered. They had been… friends, right? At least… 

Huh? What… What was this? He couldn’t… But why? Why couldn’t he remember? He tried harder, but then something inside of him curled up painfully. He shuddered. 

No. He couldn’t remember. He… didn’t want to. 

Supressing another shudder he turned back… and froze. 

Sitting on the roof of the lift cabin was the woman in white, her feet dangling loosely over the edge. This time her face wasn’t veiled and he could see her face clearly. It carried the same sad expression as in that night, a deep grief which pierced his mental rampart and made him feel like an icicle had been driven through his chest. 

“Y-You”, he managed to say. “W-Who are you? What do you want with me?” 

The woman cast down her eyes. A strand of her long, deep red hair slid over her shoulder and fell in front of her chest. 

“Answer me”, Reiji demanded coldly and raised his finger to his face to readjust his glasses. 

“You’re not a human, are you? What are you? Why do you keep following me?” 

She lifted her gaze, let it wander over Reira who was sleeping on his back and then at him. Reiji hadn’t thought that was possible, but somehow her look grew even sadder. 

_“The shadow of death already looms over you.” _

The words had been spoken so soft and fragile that Reiji needed a moment to understand their meaning. 

“The… The shadow of death?” he echoed confused. “What do you mean by that?” 

The woman closed her eyes and shook her head. A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye, ran down her cheek and fell on the roof below. Reiji followed it with his gaze. When he looked up again, the woman was gone. 

“You haven’t answered my questions!” he shouted. “Come back!” 

All that happened was that Reira woke up and began to cry. He let out a frustrated sigh before he looked at the baby on his back and his gaze softened a little. 

“I’m sorry, Reira-chan. Did I scare you? Don’t worry. We’ll get back to the car now.” 

Stroking her lightly, he stepped into the lift. Still, the woman’s words kept echoing in his head. 

_The shadow of death already looms over you. _

Damn. What did that mean? 

  


* * *

  


“Reiji?” the voice of his mother asked from the other side of the door. “Reiji, what is wrong? You didn’t show up for dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.” 

The handle was pushed down, but the door didn’t open. It was locked. 

“Reiji… You haven’t come out of your room the entire day”, his mother said in her ‘be reasonable’ voice. 

_Reasonable_… He felt as though he had been nothing but reasonable for the last few years. 

“Reira-chan wants to see you as well.” 

“I’m busy right now. I need to learn”, he said, grasping for the excuse. 

There was a moment of silence. “You mean you’re learning in the dark?” 

That witch. 

“Look, I’m not in the mood to see anyone right now, so could you simply leave me alone?” 

Again a brief silence. “That’s not an answer I’m going to accept, Reiji”, his mother said in her strict, a little threatening voice which had scared him so much when he had been little. “As long as you are living under my roof, you will do as I say. So open that door. Now!” 

Reiji didn’t move. Back then she might have terrified him, but now she was nothing but an ordinary woman who just happened to be his mother as well. 

“Reiji!” Angrily she tugged at the handle, but of course that didn’t change anything. 

After a few minutes she gave up and left. He heard the creaks as she descended the stairs and then the deep silence enveloped him once again. 

_The shadow of death already looms over you. _

He had wrecked his brain for days now to figure out what she had meant and there was only one conclusion he could draw. He was going to die. 

Reiji had never believed in monsters or ghosts or anything else that couldn’t be explained by science. For him they had always been something to scare kids with. But… The way that woman appeared and disappeared, she had to be something like that. 

A ghost… Now, if he acknowledged the fact she was something supernatural, then would it be so unreasonable to believe she’d know about his death? 

_The shadow of death already looms over you. _

He sensed her presence more than he actually felt it, the faintest hint of a touch, like delicate fingers of thin air which stroked over his back. 

“Are you here to take me with you?” he asked without turning around. 

The touch disappeared for a moment, before it returned more carefully. 

_“I guess I should apologise for startling you earlier”_, the soft voice whispered. 

Now, Reiji turned to her. The woman in white was sitting beside him. An insecure smile was on her lips. 

“Who are you?” he asked tiredly. “And please don’t disappear without giving me an answer again.” 

_“I… I’m sorry”_, she whispered and drew in a deep breath. _“My name is Ray.” _

“Are you a ghost?” 

She nodded. 

“And? What’s going to happen now? Do you just flick your fingers or does something else need to happen?” 

Her gaze turned into a confused stare. _“Hm? What do you mean?” _

Reiji got up and turned to her again. “You came to take my life, didn’t you? So, how is it going to happen?” 

A melancholy smile flickered over her shimmering face. _“You think I take the lives of the living?”_ she asked with awkward amusement. _“I am sorry. That’s not how it works.” _

He hesitated surprised. “Then… What did you…?” 

She looked up at him and her smile faded, leaving only this terrible sadness on her otherworldly features. _“I know when someone is about to die. I have no idea why, but… somehow I know it.” _

“Oh…” Reiji cracked a smirk, although it was not a humorous one. “Well… either way, I have been waiting for a long time already. So, when is it going to be?” 

Ray didn’t answer. When he looked at her, he saw her staring at him, eyes glazed with sympathy. 

_“I’m sorry. I don’t know the exact time”_, she muttered. _“Sometimes it’s days, sometimes even a year. But… even if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.” _

“But why not?” 

Shimmering white tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. 

_“Because the one who’s going to die is not you.” _

  
  


Quietly the door to Reira’s room opened. The boards creaked a little as Reiji sneaked to her cot, careful not to wake her. He hadn’t seen any light downstairs so he guessed his parents were sleeping as well. Slowly he leaned over her, considered the young, round face. She looked so lovely when she was asleep, so pure and innocent.

He reached out his hand and stroked over her cheek. Reira’s lips quirked into a smile and she turned around. Reiji noticed he was smiling as well. It sure was strange. Before she had been born, he had barely smiled at all, not when he won a tennis tournament, not when he received a good report. It had all been so… well, _natural_ to him. And then she came, something he hadn’t reckoned with, something that had turned his monotonous life upside down. 

And now all of that was supposed to end? 

“Say, is she really going to die?” 

_“Yes”_, the ghost muttered sadly. 

“But… her life has been so short.” 

_“Yes.” _

He clasped the bars of her bed so hard his knuckles turned white. “There has to be something I can do.” 

_“I’m afraid not.” _

Reira… His little sister. Although they were nineteen years apart, she had already become the most important person in his life. 

“So, you’re telling me I should just stand back? And do nothing?” he asked accusatorily and turned around. “I’d rather die than let that happen.” 

Ray reached out and he could feel her faint touch on his shoulder. 

_“It is useless to try and fight death”_, she whispered. “Believe me. I have tried before.” 

“Oh yeah?” he growled. “Well, sorry, but I am a sore loser.” 

He could feel her sympathetic eyes pierce him from behind as he left the room. 

  


* * *

  


Dennis Mackfield – owner of Mackfield Magic and More – was busy putting away the new delivery of trick wands when the door to his shop opened with a jingle.

“Hello and welcome to…” he began when he noticed the person standing in the door wasn’t one of the kids who usually came to buy simple magic items. He was tall, about twenty years old and despite the mild weather a long, red scarf was wrapped around his shoulders. Behind his rectangular glasses he could see a sharp pair of violet eyes. 

“Umm… What can I do for you, mister?” he finished his sentence. 

The young man let his gaze wander over the aisles. “Say, do you sell real magic as well?” he asked disparagingly. 

“Yes, sir”, Dennis replied promptly. “Whatever you want. A look into the future? A good luck charm?” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “A love potion maybe? Whatever it is, you’ll find it here.” 

“Alright. I want you to change someone’s fate.” 

Dennis froze. It had been a long time since someone had asked him for something like that. The man’s eyes flicked sideward and for a moment an annoyed expression crept over his face. Then he turned back at Dennis. 

“What is it? Can you do it?” 

Only his long acting experience allowed Dennis to regain his composure and respond. 

“Yes, of course I can”, he replied proudly, before he lowered his voice ominously. “But you should know that messing with fate is not an easy task. It is very dangerous, very expensive.” 

“Money is not an issue”, the man replied. 

Dennis swallowed as the synapses in his brain began to run at high-speed. He had dealt with rich people who wished to manipulate the future already. And since it hadn’t happened yet, what was the problem? Always give the customers what they want, that was his motto. 

“Very well. Follow me please”, he said and led the strange guy into the backroom. 

This room was as different from the front as night and day. The front room was made for the everyday customers who wanted to buy simple magic tricks, but this room was made for the more exquisite customers who came in search of real occult practices. The windows were hidden by black velvet curtains, a few vials with mysterious-looking potions were standing on a shelf next to a large crystal orb and a stack of Tarot cards was lying on the table in the centre of the room. 

Dennis struck a match and proceeded to light the two thick tallow candles on the table, bathing the room in a dim twilight. 

“Alright”, he began as he took a seat on one side of the table. “Now who is the person whose fate you wish to change?” 

“My little sister”, the man replied and sat down across him. “She’s going to die soon.”

Dennis lowered his head. “I am sorry, but… the miracle of life is impossible to give with magic.” 

“And if you take my life instead?” 

Dennis stared at him for a moment, before he managed to regain his composure. “Y-You want to give your life for her?” 

The man nodded. “If you transfer my life to her, then she will survive, right?” 

Dennis shuddered. The man’s eyes looked so unbelievably cold and hard. He wasn’t far from insanity. 

“I… I could do that, yes, but…” 

“Then do it.” 

He swallowed. It wasn’t wise to argue with customers like this one. “Alright”, he muttered in the most mysterious voice he could muster as he turned to a drawer behind him and took out two bottles. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” 

One of the bottles shimmered in a vivid blue, while the other one contained a pitch-black liquid. He hesitated a little before he put the second bottle on the table. Actually he had never intended to sell it. Selling poison only caused trouble. But if that man wanted shorten his life, then who was he to deny it? At least no one would come to complain afterwards. 

“Alright. Listen closely”, he muttered, “because this is very important.” He put his finger on the clasp of the blue bottle. “Let a drip of your blood fall into this potion.” He let his finger wander to the black bottle. “Then, put a drip of your sister’s blood into this potion. The blue one is for your sister to drink. The black one is for you. As soon as you do that, your remaining lifetime will be transferred to her.” 

The man nodded. Then his gaze flicked sideward again. Dennis decided to ignore it. “Okay, then we’ll only have to talk about the price. I think a hundred-thousand will…” 

“What do you mean by that?” the man asked. 

Dennis stopped confused. The question didn’t seem to be directed at him. 

“Really? What makes you think that?” 

“Umm…” Dennis began. He felt this conversation was somehow getting out of hand. 

“There’s an easy way to confirm that.” The customer turned back to him. “Say, can you see ghosts?” 

“Contact with the otherworld. Three-thousand Yen”, Dennis replied immediately, glad to be on familiar ground again. 

“No, I mean are you able to see them?” 

Dennis blinked. “Of course I am”, he replied firmly. After a second he began to suspect it might not have been the smartest choice. Okay, calm down, Dennis. Do what you are best at and find out what this guy wants. 

“Then could you tell me what you can see in this…” The man stopped and began to stare. 

“W-What?” Dennis asked confused. “Is something wrong?” 

The man shook his head. “It appears I am wasting my time here”, he said and got up. 

“Umm… Wait!” Dennis began, but the man was already out of the door. 

Crap! What exactly had gone wrong? That guy surely had been strange, but Dennis had offered him exactly what he wanted, right? 

He sighed and gazed down at the bottles on the table. After a while he put them back into the drawer. 

  
  


“Was that really necessary?” Reiji asked quietly after he left the shop.

_“That guy was a charlatan, just as I said”_, Ray replied, slightly amused. 

“Okay, but you didn’t have to walk right through him. It distresses me when you do that.” 

_“I’m sorry.”_ Suddenly her voice turned sad again. _“I’m sorry”_, she repeated. _“I told you something like magic doesn’t exist.” _

Reiji didn’t answer. Angrily he shoved his fist into the pockets of his coat. 

_“So? What do you intend to do now?”_ Ray asked. 

“I don’t know”, he answered. The medical check-up last week hadn’t given any result. Reira was as healthy as she could be. If she was going to die in an accident, there was nothing he could do about it, right? This so-called magician had been his only hope. 

Frustrated, he readjusted his glasses. Suddenly his feet came to a stop and so did the person in front of him. Disbelievingly Reiji stared at the familiar face. A face he thought he’d never have to meet again. 

“Sh-Shun? H-Hello.” 

“Reiji”, the young man across him said plainly. 

Reiji’s gaze fell on the plastic bag in Shun’s hand. “What’s up? Did you go shopping?” 

The young man’s face turned into a scowl. “Don’t greet me like an old friend”, he growled and gave Reiji a most resentful glare. “Just seeing your face again makes me want to throw up.” 

Something inside of Reiji began to tighten up. Breathing became difficult. Words rose up inside of him. He tried to hold them back, didn’t want to acknowledge their existence, but still they forced their way over his tongue. 

“Shun, I… It was an accident.” 

He felt Shun’s hand around his collar even before he heard the bag hit the ground. 

“An accident, yes? That’s what you call it?” Shun spat out the words like they were acrid bile. 

“Yes. I’m sorry, Shun.” 

He hadn’t seen the punch coming. All he knew was that his cheek started to burn and the next moment his head hit the ground. 

“You know, Reiji”, Shun began, looking down at him like a disgusting bug. “Maybe I would have been able to forgive you if you had come and apologised to her.” 

He turned around, picked up the bag he had dropped and Reiji heard his footsteps moving away on the sidewalk. He gazed up. The sky above him was a blur of grey and blue. Absently he felt around until his fingers met the temple of his glasses and put them back on his nose. Ray’s worried face appeared over him. 

_“Who was that?” she asked tentatively. _

Reiji sighed. “We used to be friends. Until…” He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to talk about it.” 

He felt Ray’s fingers stroking over his cheek where Shun had hit him. After a moment he began to get back to his feet. 

“It’s okay. I can’t say that I didn’t deserve it.” 

His legs were trembling a little, but he walked away as fast as he could, wanting to banish the encounter from his mind as quickly as possible… along with the other memories it had evoked. And yet, with every step he made the knot in his chest seemed to tighten up further. 

  


* * *

  


Tentatively he stroked over the cold rock face beside him. He hadn’t wanted to come here. He hadn’t wanted to see this place ever again. Nevertheless he was here.

Since that encounter with Shun he had been somehow… restless. The company of his own thoughts felt unsettling now. He had tried to distract himself from this feeling by learning, but his eyes just passed over the words without grasping any sense behind them. 

Then he had tried to play with Reira, but that had turned out to be even harder. He couldn’t look at her tiny face anymore without imagining he’d be standing at her funeral, or reading her name on a tombstone. Every time he heard her laugh, he felt a sharp stab in his heart. 

He hadn’t been able to endure it. Everything was better than these thoughts, so he had decided to leave the mansion and for some reason his feet had carried him here, to the shadows beneath Gallows Hill. Now that he saw it, he felt oddly sensitive, like there was something in his mind he couldn’t yet see. Something that was hidden behind a thin veil of oblivion. 

He knew what it was. He had been the one who locked it away there, refusing to think of it. 

Now though, it came back to him. He had been here before. With Shun. Yes… 

Back then the rock had shimmered grey in the evening sunlight, just like it did now. Not long and darkness would fall on the sharp notch which had been carved into the hillside. A small brook was running inside it. Slowly he followed it upwards, listened to the quiet bickering of the water. 

He remembered… He remembered two boys climbing up the same path he did now. 

_“A river symbolises life in many ways, don’t you think, Shun? At its spring the water sees the light of day, it flows on a convoluted path until it eventually joins the sea along with all other rivers. On the first glance it doesn’t follow any pattern, moves here and there, and yet each mile brings it closer to its end.” _

_“A river? Are you stupid? It’s hard to call this more than a runlet. Somewhere uphill’s a hole where it comes out and it’s swallowed as soon as it reaches the river in the valley.” _

_“Oh, shut up. I’m talking about rivers in general.” _

_Shun gave him a disbelieving look and when Reiji stayed serious, he rolled his eyes. “You spend too much time in the library, Reiji.” _

_Reiji made a sulky face. _

_“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that for the water the river flows just in one direction, but we can look at it from whatever point we like. So, what we are doing right now is like remembering.” _

_“Yeah, of course”, Shun mumbled. “Remembering the past of the great river.” _

_“Oh! Stop making fun of it!” Reiji snapped. “It’s a metaphor!” _

_Shun sighed resignedly. “A metaphor, I get it. And what exactly did you want here?” _

_Reiji cracked a smirk. “I want to see the moment of its birth, of course.” _

_His friend crossed his arms in front of his chest and nodded seriously. _

_“Yes, I see. Reiji, I’m sure of it now. You really are stupid.” _

Reiji smiled as he thought back now. He had almost forgotten about Shun’s sarcastic attitude. There were times when his eyes seemed to be stuck in a constant roll. Although… Probably Reiji had been the cause of that. 

Somehow he missed it, being able to make jokes with him or even have one of their many arguments. Just four years had passed since then, but to Reiji it felt like a lifetime. He certainly had changed a lot. And probably Shun had as well. They were not the same people they had been. 

The shadows grew longer as they climbed up the loose stones which lined the brook. It had always fascinated Reiji how such a little runlet could dig a cleft which was several feet deep. 

_“Not that one, Shun”, he said when the boy was about to jump on a large rock which was resting in the middle of the brook. “That one’s a little unsteady. Better take the three on the left.” _

_Surprised, Shun stopped and redirected his jump on one of the smaller rocks. Then he leaned his hand against the larger one which immediately began to topple. _

_“How did you know that?” he asked curiously. _

_“Well… I have been here before. But a little upstream, there’s a small waterfall which I couldn’t get past. The rock’s very steep and slippery there.” _

_“So that’s why you wanted me to come here?” Shun asked and raised his brow the way he always did when he had seen through something. _

_“You got me”, he replied with a smirk. _

Reiji walked on. With every minute the sun approached the horizon. The bottom of the notch was entirely dark already, the formerly glistening water lay dull and lacklustre. Mysterious. 

Yes, maybe that was what he had tried to do back then. He had sought for mysteries, things that weren’t as clear and structured as the things his parents had wanted him to do. 

The sound of the water grew louder and Reiji noticed he had reached the waterfall. How weird. He hadn’t grown that much in the past four years, but it didn’t look this tall and impregnable at all. Probably he was able to climb it on his own now. 

_“Come on, Reiji”, Shun said strained. “I know you can do it.” _

_“Just a little higher, Shun. I’m almost there.” _

_The boy gathered the last of his strength and pushed him up just far enough so Reiji’s fingers reached the crack in the rock face. Reiji pulled as hard as he could until finally he felt his chest slide over the edge. For a second he gasped for breath, before he turned around to Shun who was waiting below, one side of his shirt entirely soaked from the water that had splashed down on him. _

_“Okay, I’m up. Then you’re next.” _

_Shun nodded and took a few steps back. Then he took a run-up and leapt into the air. Reiji managed to catch his hand and flung himself backwards to pull him up. Both of them slumped down, not caring about the water which soaked their pants. _

_“See, Shun? I told you we could do it.” _

_The boy gave him an offended look. “I… I never said we couldn’t do it. I just said you are stupid because of that life-metaphor stuff.” _

_Reiji laughed. He was relieved in a way. After he had failed to climb the waterfall for the first time, he had feared he’d never be able to get past it. But now he had. Now he was able to see what was beyond it. _

_“Come”, he said excited as he got back to his feet. “Let’s see where this brook comes from.” _

When Reiji tried to continue, the gentle flow of memories suddenly turned cold and torrential. He swayed and leaned against the rock face. 

No. He didn’t want… Suddenly he didn’t want to remember. He tried to close the door, tried to seal himself off from the memories, but they mercilessly poured into his mind, memories of guilt and horror. 

A squeal… Shun’s shouting… The splash. And then… A faint streak of red, wriggling through the water, barely visible in the dark, and yet so unbelievably vivid. 

Before his stomach had the chance to empty, he turned around and hurried away, just away from that place. He regretted coming here now. He regretted so many things. 

  


* * *

  


“I noticed you have spent fewer time learning lately, Reiji-san. I hope you are aware of how easily your grades can slip if you don’t prepare properly.”

“Yes, mother. I know”, Reiji replied, impaling a potato with his fork. 

“Your father and I are having high expectations on you”, she added. 

“Yes, mother.” His gaze fell on the empty seat beside her. “Speaking of which, where is he?” 

“He called earlier he was going to be late and that we should start without him.” 

Reiji sighed. Of course. His father had always been late, always too busy with work. In a way he could understand him. He could imagine how it felt to be in charge of a big company with thousands of employees, but… that didn’t change anything about his disappointment. What good was a father who wasn’t there for his family? Reiji wouldn’t care if it was just him, but at least he could spend some time with Reira. 

“Eat, niisan”, the little girl said and pointed at her mouth. Reiji smiled as he filled a spoon with spinach and raised it over the table. 

“Now open up.” 

Reira complied obediently and he sank the spoon in her mouth. She chomped and although a lot landed around her mouth, she chuckled happily. 

“Now you”, she said and dug her own spoon into the potatoes, carefully balancing one of them as she held it out to him. Reiji bent forward and snatched the potato from her spoon. 

“Thanks, Reira-chan. It’s delicious.” 

The girl grinned and turned back to her own food. Reiji glanced at his mother only to find her watching them with a wistful smile. 

When she noticed his inquiring look, she shook her head and wiped away the tear that had started to form in her eye. “It’s nothing. Seeing the two of you just reminds me of when you were in that age.” She wiped over her eyes again. 

“Were you happier?” he asked after a moment. 

She smiled amused, but her face immediately turned sad again. “Happier? A little, yes.” 

Her eyes flicked to Reira who was excitedly munching her spinach. “I think it bothers me that Reira-chan seems to like you more than me. And when I see you… I feel just so… unnecessary.” 

Reiji cast down his eyes. “I see”, he muttered. “I… I am sorry.” 

“No, Reiji-san. Don’t be sorry. It is stupid of me to think that way, to be jealous of my own son…” 

Both of them fell quiet. Reiji just didn’t know what to say. 

“I just noticed how much you have grown from the adorable little boy you’ve been.” 

Reiji made a grimace. “I’ve never been adorable.” 

His mother laughed. “To me you were.” She sighed and wistfulness returned onto her features. “This brings back memories, doesn’t it?” she muttered. “Do you remember our holiday in Europe? I think you were six years old back then.” 

Reiji shook his head. “I remember the flight, yes. It was my first time on a plane. But the rest…” He stopped. 

“Ah, probably that was too long ago. And I remember you complaining constantly because you were bored by the cities we visited.” 

Reiji gave out an undefined hum and turned back to his plate. 

“I guess you liked the one seven years ago better. Your friend, Kurosaki-kun was with us too. Oh, by the way, he was here earlier. He asked for you.” 

Reiji almost choked. “W-What?! What did he want?” 

“Hmm… He didn’t say anything.” She lowered her fork. “Anyway, don’t you think it’s time for you to reconcile?” 

Reiji got up so abruptly his chair fell over. “_Reconcile_? How do you think we possibly could?” 

Now even Reira had stopped eating and stared at him with wide eyes. Reiji let out a sigh and turned around to pick up the chair. 

“Is it because of what…?” 

“Of course it is”, he interrupted her. 

“I’m… I’m sorry, Reiji-san”, his mother continued after a few seconds. “I know your father and I bear part of the blame for what happened. Maybe, if we had acted differently, then…” 

“No, mother”, he replied sinister. “What happened would’ve happened anyway. _You_ couldn’t have changed anything.” 

His mother didn’t answer as he left without another word and began to climb the stairs up to his room. 

_Right. I am the only one who could’ve changed something. _

  


* * *

  


Only the steady whining of the heart rate monito tore the silence of the nightly room. A lonely plant was standing on the window sill. It was the only coloured thing in the room, aside from the dark, almost black hair of the girl who was resting on the bed which filled out most of the space. Her face was pale and her cheeks hollow and if it wasn’t for the faint rise and fall of her chest, one would’ve thought she was dead.

She was fifteen years old now, the same age he was in when he last looked into her vivid eyes. But… Since that day she hadn’t said a word. Nor had she opened her eyes. 

Reiji… All of this was his fault. How could he simply walk around like that, without even thinking of what he had done? And… Now he even had a little sister. 

“I’m sorry, Ruri”, he muttered, brushing his finger over the girl’s cheek. “I know if you were in my position, you would try to let bygones be bygones. But I don’t think I am able to do that.” 

  
  


At the same time at a different place Reiji was lying on his bed as well and stared at the ceiling. He had tried to sleep, but right now his dreams were even more horrid than his conscious thoughts.

A glance at the alarm clock told him it was past three o’ clock already. Just five more hours until it would start to ring. Although… Reiji had little hope the light of day would dispel any of the shadows inside of his head. 

He decided it was useless to try to find any sleep and got up instead. Quietly he put on his clothes and walked over to Reira’s room. The little girl was sound asleep. Somehow… just looking at her made his heart grow warm. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked as he stepped closer. 

_“I am watching her sleep”_, Ray muttered, softly gazing down at the girl. Her eyes glistened with deep sorrow and wistfulness. _“She’s so pretty. You know, I never had children. I don’t know how it feels to hold someone like that, how it feels to feed them or lull them to sleep. I… kind of envy you for that.” _

Reiji lowered his gaze and watched her shimmering fingers stroke over Reira’s cheek. It looked… gentle, almost loving. Almost like how he loved Reira. 

“You’re the second person who said this to me today”, he muttered. 

_“Your mother, right?”_ Ray deduced. 

Reiji didn’t answer. He reached out his hand and tickled the sole of Reira’s feet. She stirred a little and a smile flashed over her face. 

“You were a human as well, weren’t you?” he asked. “How did you die?” 

He looked at Ray. She had ducked her head and a bang of her long hair covered the left side of her face. When she finally spoke, her voice seemed to come from far away. 

_“I… gave up my life for someone else.”_ A shy smile appeared on her lips. _“Not unlike you, I guess. But…”_ Her lids lowered a little and her gaze turned sad again. _“…In the end I haven’t changed anything.” _

She sighed and shook her head, before she looked down at the sleeping Reira again. _“Every life runs out eventually. Some sooner, some later. We have to accept that and cherish every day we have left together.” _

Reiji’s hand tightened around the bars of Reira’s cot. 

“You may have given up already”, he hissed. “But I won’t. I can’t.” He took a deep breath. “I can’t let her die.” 

  


* * *

  


Reiji gazed down at the old, hand-written book. Its cover was made of leather although the passing of centuries had made it so hard he assumed he’d need a hammer to do even slight damage to it.

He took a deep breath, before he cleared his throat and began. “I do invoke thee, o spirit of darkness, and being armed with power from the supreme majesty, I do strongly command thee, that thou dost forthwith appear unto me here before this circle.” 

Reiji needed to force himself to keep going. It was difficult when all he could think of was how stupid he must look. One year ago he would’ve laughed at anyone who told him about ghosts or magic. And now here he was, standing inside of a candle-lit pentagram drawn on the floor of the library and trying to summon a demon. 

He had found the book in the remotest corner of the library, hidden behind much bulkier, dust-covered tomes on the lowest aisle. If he had spotted it earlier, he would’ve thought it had been sheer superstition, but now he couldn’t help but think there had been a different reason someone had wanted to hide it so badly. And when he had begun to read it, he had understood. It was a grimoire that described the invocation of evil spirits. It was as if fate had given him this last straw, this last chance to somehow save Reira’s life. 

Of course he had made sure his parents were out of house today and Reira was asleep in her room. On top of that he had locked the door and closed the curtains. The last he could use now was anyone watching him performing some occult ritual. 

“Wherefore come though, o spirit of darkness”, he chanted firmly, “forthwith and without delay, from any or all parts of the world wherever thou mayest be, and respond unto all things that I shall demand of thee.” 

To his surprise he noticed how the candles began to flicker and a black fog began to form within the magic circle. 

It worked! He hadn’t expected it would, but… It really worked! 

“For thou art conjured by the name of the supreme majesty, wherefore fulfil thou my commands, and persist them therein unto the end, and according unto mine interest, visibly and affably speaking unto me with a voice clear and intelligible without any ambiguity.” 

The haze grew thicker and taller and within it Reiji could discern a black shape. After a few seconds the fog protruded and a face stood out against it. It would’ve been easy to mistake it for that of a human if it weren’t for its eyes which appeared ominously dark and with a shimmer of slyness. 

“Who are you, mortal, that you dare to summon me to this place?” the face said in a dark and commanding voice. 

Reiji smiled. The book also contained warnings on how to deal with the summoned spirits. 

“It doesn’t matter who I am. I have invoked you, so you have to follow my commands.” 

For a split-second he thought he could see an annoyed spark in the demon’s eyes. Then its mouth curved into a friendly smile, a smile Reiji didn’t trust a bit. 

“Yes, of course. You are my master. Now what is your desire?” 

Reiji’s fingers dug into the leather of the grimoire. This was the moment he had waited for. The moment he had feared and at the same time he wished it to come already. 

“I want you to save my little sister’s life.” 

The demon gazed at him, its eyes narrowed. “As you wish”, it said. “I will grant you my power. But note that I will feed off your life in return.” 

Reiji let out a relieved sigh. The book had said that demons would ask something of equal value in return for their services, but if that was all, then he didn’t mind. Even if that thing would kill him eventually, he had been prepared to die for Reira anyway. 

“Fine. In return for saving my sister’s life, you can have mine.” 

The hint of a smile flashed over the demon’s lips. “Very well.” The face melted away, turning back into black fog which began to swirl inside the circle. 

_“Reiji!!”_ a voice suddenly shouted. Reiji’s eyes flicked around until they met Ray’s face. For the first time she actually looked dismayed and he wondered if he could’ve made a mistake. 

No! There was no turning back! 

“What are you waiting for?” he asked the cloud of fog which had been the demon seconds ago. “I offer you my life for that of my sister. Fulfil my wish, I do not falter.” 

The cloud began to swirl faster before it left the borders of the pentagram and reached out to him. Reiji didn’t back away as the fog swooped down on him, but before it could envelop him, it froze for a beat and, with a long-drawn-out wail of anger it proceeded to dissolve into nothing. 

It had happened in less than a second, but Reiji felt as though he had been staring for minutes before his lungs remembered how to breathe. 

He managed to tear his eyes away from where the demon had disappeared and looked down at the pentagram. One of the lines was slightly blurred. Ray was standing next to it and although she wasn’t alive, her breath was going heavy. Suddenly she gasped when her gaze fell on the book in Reiji’s hands. 

_“R-Reiji, where… Where did you get that?” _

He stared down at the book and then back at her. Suddenly an indescribable rage filled his mind. 

“Why did you stop me?” he shouted. “I was so close already!” 

_“That… That accursed book must never be opened again”_, she whispered, her eyes wide with fear. 

“This book is the only way I have left to save her! It is my only way to save Reira!” 

Ray’s gaze grew softer and she looked at him with deep sympathy. Tears were glistening in the corner of her eyes. _“No, Reiji”_, she whispered and stepped closer. _“The demon wouldn’t have saved her. You would’ve allowed them to enter your heart and they would’ve made you kill her with your own hands.” _

Reiji hesitated for a moment, but he refused to believe what she said. 

“Oh, what do you know of this matter?” he asked angrily and grabbed her wrist. Ray’s eyes widened and she tried to pull away when suddenly her body began to shine brighter than usual and Reiji felt like he was drawn back into a swirling vortex of cold, dark water. 

_There was a young man standing on a meadow, his silhouette set darkly against the orange sky. _

_“Zarc!” _

_The man turned to him and Reiji could see a joyous smile flash over his serious face. He had fair skin, his hair was mostly silver, although there was a speck of light green in it, and it swept upwards as if it tried to reach for the sky. His golden eyes shimmered friendly as he raised his hand. _

_“Hello, Ray”, he said. “You look marvellous.” _

_“Thank you”, a female voice said. A bang of wine-red hair fell in front of his face and a hand went up to tuck it behind his ear again. _

No. Not _his_ ear, Reiji realised. _Ray’s. _

_“So… You have to go?” she asked slowly, almost reluctant to utter the words. When the young man averted his eyes, Reiji understood why. _

_“Yes. The clarions have been sounded for the third time today. I cannot ignore them any longer.” _

_He looked sad as his gaze trailed off into the distance. “Once the war is over, I’ll come back to you. I promise.” _

_“Oh, Zarc”, she whispered and moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. “Please don’t die out there.” _

_“Yes, Ray. I won’t.” _

_There was a flash and suddenly Reiji found himself standing on a road among a group of other people. All of them were either children or women. One of them shouted something and they started to shift, whether excited or worried he couldn’t tell. _

These had to be Ray’s memories, he realised. But why could he see them? 

_They watched as a small cloud of dust appeared in the distance. As it drew closer, Reiji could see the shapes of humans, most of them walking, one or two riding a horse, a few sitting on a cart which followed the train. The front of them reached the waiting crowd and he could see men breaking away from the train and running towards some of the women or children, embracing them frantically. Relief and joy was sparkling on their careworn faces. After a while Reiji spotted the silver thatch of hair and Ray rushed towards it. _

_“Zarc”, she muttered happily as she flung her arms around him and squeezed him so tightly Reiji felt her nails almost dug into the man’s skin. He hugged her back, but the joy on his face only lasted a moment. _

_Judging from his appearance, only a few months could have passed, but his eyes looked like he had aged by several years. _

_“What’s wrong, Zarc?” Ray asked concerned. Gently she brushed a finger over his cheek. _

_He gave her the probably happiest smile he could muster up, trying to dispel her worries, but when he looked at her face, he reconsidered. _

_“This war is nowhere near to be won”, he said gravely. “Actually we’re the ones losing.” _

_“But that doesn’t have anything to do with you anymore, right, Zarc? I mean… You have returned. Now we can be together.” _

_The look he gave her would’ve made Reiji gasp. _

_“Ray. We weren’t sent here because we could return home. We are supposed to make preparations for the enemy’s assault.” _

_Ray clasped a hand over her mouth. _

_“Yes, Ray”, he said. “War is going to come here.” And even quieter he added: “But I am going to protect you. No matter what.” _

_There was another flash. This time Ray was in some kind of corridor. She turned left and then ran up a flight of stairs, busting through the door at the upper end. _

_“Zarc!!” _

_The young man was lying half on the floor, half resting against the wall. A pentagram was drawn in front of him. _

It was very similar to the one Reiji had drawn, he noticed with a sudden shudder. 

_“Zarc! Oh, no. What did you do?!” _

_Ray had crossed the room in a blink, knelt down beside him and shook him by the shoulders. Slowly he opened his eyes and a weak smile flashed over his lips. _

_“Don’t worry, Ray. Now I have the strength to protect you.” _

_His body slid down the wall and Ray rested his head carefully onto her lap. With a tension in her chest she watched him, breathing in and out for a while, before she dared to relax._

_“Oh, Zarc… Just what are you doing?” she muttered and began to stroke through his slightly ruffled hair. _

_A flash. _

_He watched Zarc riding on a splendorous horse in front of a train of soldiers, carrying long, old-fashioned rifles. He raised his arm into the air and the crowd began to cheer. Reiji could make out his name and a few times something about that he had saved them. Ray didn’t cheer, but a smile was apparent on her lips. That was, until she overheard two of the soldiers who passed by. _

_“Did you see him in battle?” the first one asked, his eyes rigid with unease. “He looked like the devil himself.” _

_“Yes”, the other one said. “I only caught a short glimpse, but he was covered over and over with blood. A friend of me told me when his sword broke he started to kill the enemies with his bare hands.” _

_The first one nodded. “Sometimes I am not sure who we should be more afraid of.” _

_Ray’s fingers dug into the fabric of her shirt, so much it hurt. Her eyes began to fill with tears, and yet she remained absolutely still, hiding the sobs inside of her. _

_Flash. _

_Carefully Ray walked through a corridor, a different one this time, made of rough-hewn stone bricks. There was a feral sound, followed by a brief scream which ended abruptly. It had come from a door at the end of the corridor. _

_“Z-Zarc?” Ray asked as she approached it, her voice high-pitched and shaky with fear. “Zarc? You’re there, aren’t you?” _

_She reached out for the door handle. It was only left ajar. Ray opened it a little and peered through. _

_At the sight beyond it Reiji felt his stomach twist. There were bodies scattered over the floor, three, four, five, their faces masks of horror, their clothing wet with blood. The overwhelming stench of blood made him want to throw up. _

_Ray opened the door a little wider and stepped through. “Zarc?” she asked, horrified by the scene in front of her. _

_There was a motion in a corner and, slowly and somehow deliberately, Zarc straightened up. Reiji noticed there was a dagger in his hand. Blood was dripping from its blade, down onto the man he had been crouching over. He was as dead as the others. _

_“Did… Did you do this, Zarc?” Ray asked, her voice barely a whisper. _

_The silver-haired man turned his head. It was indeed Zarc. Only his eyes weren’t the same. The warm gold had disappeared, instead looking almost black and with a bottomless… yes, joy. There was nothing human in these eyes anymore. _

_“Do you recognise me, Zarc?” _

_The man gazed at her for a few seconds and then a wide grin crept over his face. With an unnaturally quick motion he leapt at her and pinned her against the wall. _

_“Zarc, it’s me.” _

_He raised the dagger in his hand and let it wander over her bare arm. Reiji could feel it graze her skin, could feel the blood gushing out. Ray tried to struggle against his grip, but he effortlessly held her in place with his remaining hand. _

_“Zarc, it’s me. Ray”, she muttered. Despite the pain she tried to keep her voice soft and gentle. _

_He froze for a moment. But then he merely blinked and with a low giggle he placed the dagger right above her heart. Reiji didn’t doubt he was able to pierce it with a light push. _

_“Zarc, you said that you loved me, back then, under that willow by the river. Don’t you remember?” Ray almost sounded pleading now. “Do you remember how awkward you felt?” _

_Zarc’s eyes flickered for a moment and a hint of gold flushed back into them. _

_“And do you remember what I answered?” Ray drew in a deep breath before she met his sick grin. “I said I would always love you.” _

_The man stared at her. Then a pained expression crept over his face and he backed away, dropping the dagger as he raised both hands to his temples. _

_“R-Ray”, he muttered, panting heavily. _

_“That’s right, Zarc”, she said happily. “It’s me. Ray.” _

_“Ray”, he repeated, his voice crackling when it formed the word. “G-Get away, Ray… Stay away from me.” _

_“Zarc, what…?” _

_“I said get away!” he suddenly shouted and when he looked at her, desperation shimmered in his golden eyes. “I am dangerous. So stay away!” _

_The next moment his eyes grew dark again and a feral growl escaped his throat. _

_Still, Ray didn’t go away. She made a step forward. _

_“No, Ray!” Zarc howled and backed away from her. “Run! Escape… while you still can!” _

_Ray smiled and made another step. _

_“How could I ever leave you?” she asked softly. _

_He growled again and almost stumbled over one of the bodies that littered the floor. With one last step Ray crossed the distance between them and pulled him into a gentle embrace. _

_Zarc screamed and flailed, tried to push her away. His nails left bloody marks on her arms, but she still didn’t let go, held onto him like a lifeline. Then his body convulsed and he began to throw up, spitting out a black fog which dissipated moments after it touched the floor. _

_Surprised, Ray steadied him as the dark substance poured out of him, until he exhaustedly sank to the ground. When he opened his eyes, they shone with a clear, warm gold again. _

_“It’s over?” she asked. _

_“It’s over”, he muttered and rested his head against her chest. _

_Ray gave out a relieved laugh. “I’m… so glad you are back.” _

_“Yes, Ray”, he whispered. “Me too.” _

_Just then the sound of heavy boots drew in from the corridor and a moment later the door was kicked open. At least until it was stopped by a corpse which blocked its path. _

_Ray and Zarc gazed up at the heavily armed soldiers who were standing in the door, frozen at the dreadful sight which sprawled out before them. _

_Suddenly another man without a rifle or sword appeared beside them. “There! There he is!” he shouted hysterically and pointed at Zarc. “Didn’t I tell you?! He’s gone crazy and started to slaughter the others!” _

_The first armed man swallowed and stepped into the room. _

_“Commander Zarc? You are herewith arrested on a charge of mass murder of your comrades.” _

_“What? No!” Ray shouted and threw herself in front of Zarc. “It wasn’t really him! He’s innocent!” _

_The soldier shoved her aside and stepped towards Zarc. When Ray tried to fling herself at him, another soldier grabbed her and locked her in place. _

_“He’s innocent!” she shouted desperately. “I beg you, don’t hurt him! He wasn’t the one!” _

_“Yes, he was!” the man from before shouted. “I saw him do it! He was grinning like mad as he slashed them!” _

_“No! No! It wasn’t him! Zarc could never do that!” _

_Ray couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as the soldiers dragged him away. Zarc didn’t have the strength to resist or even look up at her. _

_Flash. _

_Reiji would’ve held his breath, if he could. Ray’s body was shaking with dread and sadness as she looked over the crowd to the dais which was built on the hill. There were three wooden poles on top of it, roped hanging from each of them. It wasn’t hard to tell what was supposed to take place here. _

Gallows Hill, Reiji thought. So people had really been killed here. 

_The crowd began to cheer when the crooked, tired man was led up the stairs to the dais. They cheered as loud for him as when he had returned as a victorious leader, only now their faces were twisted with scorn and dark glee which made Reiji feel sick to the core. _

_A man stepped in front of the gallows and began to read the verdict. Ray didn’t stop to listen. Slowly she pushed her way through the crowd until she was only a few feet away from the dais. _

_“…and thus, you, Convict Zarc, have been sentenced to the gallows.” He gave the man behind Zarc a wave and he proceeded to place the noose around Zarc’s neck. _

_“Any last words?” he asked Zarc who tiredly shook his head. _

_“Yes. Die”, Ray said. She raised the pistol in her hand and fired. The man stared at her, surprised, before he began to topple over backwards. _

_Ray didn’t waste a second, ran up the dais and freed Zarc’s neck from the rope. _

_“Ray, what…?” he began. _

_“Don’t worry”, she said with a smile. “I’m getting you out of here.” _

_“They’re trying to escape! Stop them!” Reiji heard the voice of the hysterical man shout from among the crowd. _

_Ray loaded her pistol again and fired at the chain which bound Zarc’s leg. However, her shot wasn’t the only one. Reiji felt the bullet pierce her back and a moment later blood arose in her windpipe and filled her mouth. _

_“Ray! No!!” Zarc grabbed her shoulders and steadied her as well as his shackles allowed him to. _

_“I… I’m sorry. I… tried to save you”, Ray muttered with a faint smile. “Looks like I couldn’t do it. Forgive me.” _

_Anger crept over Zarc’s face and he turned to the crowd. “You bastards! Can’t you ever be satisfied unless you see blood?! Did you have to murder her?!! You…” _

_He stopped when Ray squeezed his arm. “P-Please… Don’t be angry at them. I have… chosen this fate. I chose to be with you.” _

_“Ray”, he muttered and tears began to form in his eyes. “You fool. You should’ve chosen to live. You shouldn’t have thrown your life away for someone like me.” _

_“No”, Ray whispered weakly. “Not… thrown away… given. It is my gift to you.” Her smile grew softer when she cupped his cheek with her hand, wiping away his tears with her thumb. “It seems a bit unfair that our… time was so short. But… I don’t regret a minute of it.” _

_“No! Ray!” Zarc tried to hold her, tried to press her against him, but two armed men showed up behind him and pulled him away. At the same time a pair of hands grabbed her arms and tried to steady her. It didn’t matter though, as Ray’s legs gave way beneath her. Breathing was getting hard and Reiji could feel the warm blood leaking over her chest. _

_“Convict Zarc, we are going to execute your punishment now.” _

_“No! Ray! Open your eyes!” _

_Ray mustered all her strength to raise her head one last time. There it was. The sight of Zarc’s vivid face which Reiji felt she had longed to see. He struggled desperately against the guards who held him in place, against the noose that was placed around his neck. Ray smiled and Reiji felt a wondrously warm happiness from her. _

_“Don’t worry, Zarc”, she whispered. “I’m sure… we’ll see each other… on the other side.” _

  
  


Reiji blinked confused as he found himself back in the library, the unusable pentagram beneath his feet. His heart was still racing. He felt as though his head was about to burst from all the pain and sadness he had just seen.

Ray stared at him, not less harrowed than he did, and utter shock was written over her white, shimmering face. 

Reiji noticed he had let go of her wrist and apparently he had dropped the grimoire as well. 

The grimoire… Minutes – no, probably moments ago he had barely been able to think about anything else, but now it felt so ridiculously unimportant. After what he had just seen he wouldn’t have touched it anyway. 

Suddenly Ray’s fingers touched his cheek, but this time nothing happened. 

_“That girl… with the black hair…”_ she began. _“Who… Who is she?” _

Reiji couldn’t help but stare back at her. A black-haired girl? What was she… 

Suddenly it hit him and Reiji felt like someone had just punched his stomach. If he had seen Ray’s memories, then… 

A flood of memories rose up and mixed into the ones he had just seen, a huge wave of guilt and regret that washed over him. He turned around and staggered to the door, fiddled with the key until his shaking fingers managed to turn it, and fled into the corridor. 

He couldn’t face her. He couldn’t face her because of what he had seen. And he couldn’t face her because of what he feared she may have seen. 

  


* * *

  


A soft breeze tousled Reiji’s hair. He listened to the merry song of the birds in the branches above him and the bickering of the river not far behind. He didn’t know why it was this place he had fled to, but it felt calm and comforting, a pleasant distraction from the roar inside of his head.

He remembered sitting here one day, absently gazing across the water when suddenly Shun’s head popped out of the bushes and almost made him fall from the root in surprise. It was a silly, unimportant memory and yet he held onto it as if his life was depending on it. It was a moment he had been a child still, unaware of how his actions affected others around him. 

_“Reiji?” _

He looked up and saw Ray’s nervous face peeking at him from behind the trunk he was resting against. Here in the sunlight she looked incredibly faint, almost translucent. 

_“May I… join you?”_ she asked tentatively. 

For a moment he considered saying no, sending her away, but then he simply nodded. Carefully she sat down beside him, resting her back against the trunk as he had. He could feel she wanted to talk, but didn’t dare to speak up, afraid she’d cause him to flee again. 

Right… He actually _fled_. He ran away. How pathetic. He wondered if the Reiji from four years ago would’ve fled as well. 

Now, what a foolish question to ask, wasn’t it? He knew the answer. Of course he would. No, he _had_. 

Since that day he had done nothing but run away. He had tried to hide it behind ambition and eagerness, but in truth he had just tried to forget. 

His attention was drawn to Ray’s fingers which had picked up a twig and twisted it absently now. Her discomfort was almost tangible, disturbing the peace of this place. 

Finally he sighed. “Do you want to spit it out?” he asked. 

She gave him a surprised glance, before she cracked an insecure smile which died away immediately. _“What… What I saw… were your memories?”_ she asked carefully. 

“I suppose so”, he replied. 

_“Oh. Then… You have seen mine?” _

Reiji nodded. 

Ray pressed her lips together. _“How much did you see?”_ she asked after a moment. 

“Everything important”, he said. “You lover, Zarc… I saw what became of him. And how you died.” 

She cast down her eyes. _“That book… After the demon left his body and he was taken away, I hid the book in the library of my family’s mansion.”_ Her voice grew unusually hard and full of bitterness. _“Now I think it might have been the biggest mistake of my life. I should’ve burned it so no one would suffer what he did.” _

“Why did you lie to me, Ray?” 

The ghost fell quiet. Reiji could feel her confused stare. 

“You told me there was no such thing like magic”, he added. 

_“I… I know”_, she muttered sadly. _“But if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t have stopped until you found a way. I mean… You didn’t stop anyway, but…”_ She paused for a moment. _“Nothing good can come from that. You have seen what happened to Zarc. The book had turned him into something that wasn’t him anymore. That’s why I stopped you. I don’t want you to lose yourself like he did.” _

“Even if that means Reira is going to die?” 

She suddenly fell quiet, bit the bottom of her lip. 

_“It is impossible to fight death, Reiji”_, she muttered downcast. _“You’ve seen my past now. Zarc tried to protect us, but in the end death found him nevertheless. I tried to protect him and I received only death as well.” _

She let out a sob and curled up, hugging her legs to her chest. _“I said to Zarc we’d meet again on the other side. And now look at me. I’ve been a ghost for almost goddamn three-hundred years, cursed to watch people die when I know I can’t save them. I wonder if this is my punishment. My punishment for not having the courage to pass on.” _

She gazed down at her shimmering, white hand. _“I guess I’m just another coward in this cowardly world.” _

“That’s not true.” 

She blinked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. 

“A coward would’ve turned around at the sight of blood”, he said without looking at her. “A coward wouldn’t have stayed to save a man who was possessed by a demon. And a coward wouldn’t have tried to rescue her lover when she knew she wouldn’t survive it.” 

He turned to her and firmly met her lavender-blue eyes. 

“You are not a coward, Ray.” 

After a long moment her lips curved into an insecure smile. _“Thank you, Reiji. Sometimes I wish I had your strength.” _

Reiji gasped and quickly looked away, but Ray still noticed the pain flashing in his eyes. 

_“What… What is it?” _

He gave her a quick glance, before he began to shake his head. 

“I… I am not strong”, he muttered, each word only reluctantly passing his lips. “If someone deserves to be called a coward, it’s me.” 

_“Is… Is it because of that girl?” _

He nodded. 

She raised her hand and sympathetically touched his shoulder. _“Will you tell me about her?” _

Reiji turned his head away from her. No, he didn’t want to talk about her. He didn’t want to open the door to these memories. He didn’t want to relive them again. But… Ray had shared her pain with him, so it didn’t feel fair to say no. 

It was strange, he noticed, but somehow she was the only person he could talk openly with. She wasn’t like his father who was too busy with his company to think about other people, or like his mother who had learned so well to hide herself behind strictness and discipline she wasn’t able to show her true feelings anymore. Ray was… just honest and genuine. 

“Her name is Kurosaki Ruri. She is Shun’s little sister.” He took a deep breath. “She was not in our age, so we used to hang out alone, playing video games or frequenting the hills.” 

Now that he thought back, he was surprised he was only able to recall good moments with Shun. His annoyed face when Reiji had tricked him to fall into the river. The fun when they had a snowball fight in the winter. Even their arguments had been enjoyable. They had never lasted for more than a few days and now they somehow seemed little and insignificant. 

Well… At least until that day. 

“Shun and I used to make trips to places that were difficult and hard to reach. I guess we loved the adventure. Normally Ruri would stay behind at the mansion, but that day she must’ve followed us in secret. She had always been good at hiding.” 

Reiji noticed his heart began to beat faster as he let his mind wander back in time. 

_“Come. Let’s see where this brook comes from.” _

_Shun took the hand he offered him and he pulled the boy back to his feet. _

_For some reason they split up, Reiji walking on one side of the brook while Shun walked on the other. However, they hadn’t walked far, when suddenly a squeal made them freeze. They turned around to the edge of the waterfall. Then, as if on a silent command, they began to run back, coming to a stop right before the edge. _

_As Reiji gazed down, he could see the frightened face of Ruri beneath him, a strand of her dark hair sticking to her forehead. She was clinging desperately to the rock, her small fingers squeezed into a crack, though the water was running down her arms already. _

_It was impossible. The rock was too slippery and Ruri was even younger than he was and didn’t have nearly as much strength as he did. And still, she tried to pull herself up. _

_“Reiji!” Shun shouted as he ran through the brook, too slowly though, or else the water would’ve flushed him away. _

_Reiji had to pull her up. He knew he had too, and yet he didn’t move. All he could do was stare at the strained face of the girl who tried to climb up to him. He saw the next crack she placed her fingers in wasn’t going to hold her, he saw her losing her grip, saw surprise creeping over her features, slow as treacle, as she fell. _

_Then there was a loud splash as her body hit the brook beneath. _

_“Ruri!!” Shun shouted and after a moment he jumped down beside her and cradled her young face with his hands. _

_She didn’t respond. She didn’t open her eyes. From above Reiji could see a thin red streak starting from her head and twisting its way through the water, following the stream down towards the river. He could hear Shun whispering gentle, soothing words to her, although his voice was shaking with fear and worry. _

_And still he wasn’t able to move a muscle. _

Reiji’s eyelids fluttered and he turned back to Ray who was gazing at him, her eyes warm with tears and sympathy. 

“She tried to follow us up the waterfall even we had only been able to climb together. When I saw her, I knew what would happen, I knew she would fall. And yet I did nothing.” 

Ray nodded. _“And what happened after that?”_ she asked carefully. 

Reiji sighed. “Somehow, I guess we managed to carry her down the brook and I ran back to the mansion to tell my parents what happened. Half an hour later an ambulance brought her to the hospital.” He paused for a moment as he recalled her lifeless figure on the stretcher. There hadn’t been a way to tell if she was alive or dead. 

“She’s been in coma ever since. I met Shun a few days later. He shouted at me, said I could’ve saved her.” Reiji cracked a smile. “Then he broke my nose.” 

Ray placed a hand on his shoulder and began to rub it gently. 

“After that my parents cut ties with the Kurosakis. I think they tried to shield me from these memories by telling me to focus on school, but… I’m not sure it really helped.” 

_“I’m… I’m sorry”_, Ray muttered softly. _“I didn’t want to force you to recall such painful memories.” _

Slowly he shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m the one who is responsible for creating them in the first place.” He lowered his gaze to his fingers. “I guess Shun still hates me for doing nothing back then. No, actually I’m sure he does. Before, I didn’t understood how he felt, but… now that I have Reira-chan…” 

He stopped. Didn’t his mother say that Shun had visited them? Four years ago he had taken Shun’s sister from him. Now, he had a little sister of his own. Reira. If Shun had seen her… 

Reiji jumped to his feet. Reira was still alone in the mansion and of course he hadn’t thought of locking the door when he left. 

_“Reiji, what…?”_ Ray asked as he began to hurry back to the mansion. 

He just wondered if Shun would really… Of course he would. That was exactly how he thought, wasn’t it? 

  


* * *

  


A sleeping baby… It was a sight he hadn’t beheld for so many years. He didn’t have clear memories of it – after all he had also been a little kid back then – but he still remembered the look on Ruri’s face, secure and yet a little uncomfortable as if she was running around in her dreams and was disappointed her body couldn’t move along.

The girl looked a lot like her. She had the same round chin, the same dimples in her cheek. Only her short hair reminded of who she was. Reiji’s sister… 

He didn’t know anymore what he had wanted when he had come here a few days ago. Maybe he had wanted to apologise for beating Reiji. Maybe he had come to hear an apology from him. Or maybe he had just come to punch his pathetic face again. 

But when Reiji’s mother had opened, the baby on her arm, his mind had gone completely blank. The little thing had stared at him with large eyes, timid and uncomfortable, and suddenly he had felt as though everything had been his fault. 

How ridiculous! It was clearly Reiji’s fault! His and that goddamn family of his. 

“Reiji… All those years you have ran away from your responsibility. But if you won’t take it, I’ll make her do it.” 

  


* * *

  


Reiji didn’t stop to take a breath as he ran back the little path to the house. He almost smacked against the door which opened immediately and staggered into Reira’s room. Of course her bed was empty. Instead there was a short note scribbled on a piece of paper.

_Your sister is with me. I’m waiting for you, Reiji. You know where. _

Reiji crumpled the paper after he had read it. _Damn, Shun! I’m the one you want. Leave Reira out of it! _

He turned on the spot and ran back the same way he had come. 

_“Reiji! What’s wrong?”_ Ray asked when she met him. 

He stopped and wordlessly showed her the note. She frowned as she read and then understanding crept over her face. 

_“You’re going to that place?” _

“Yes.” 

_“He’s not going to give you Reira just like that.” _

“I know. Bu still I have to go. If there is a way to protect her, then…” 

He stopped and his gaze trailed off to the hill. _Gallows Hill…_ What a perfect name for a place that had seen so much sorrow already. 

He took a deep breath and turned back to Ray. She was making a flustered face, somehow insecure, and yet her eyes had the same sympathetic look he had gotten so used to see on her. 

_“Good… Good luck”_, she muttered, not quite meeting his gaze. 

“Thank you”, Reiji replied. Then he continued his way. 

He didn’t have eyes for the landscape like he usually had, barely noticed the scrubs flying by as he took the shortest path to the hill. His mind showed him two boys who had taken the same path back then. He remembered Shun complaining about how far off it was. He had simply laughed in return. 

So much had changed. _They_ had changed. 

Soon he reached the familiar gurgle of the brook which wound downhill until it joined the river. The sound of splashing water and clacking stones accompanied him as he entered the notch, followed the slowly rising bed to where the brook got swift and narrow. At last his feet came to a stop. Silently he stared up at the dark-haired young man who stood on the higher end of the waterfall. His sharp, yellow eyes met his and a shadow fell on them. 

“Reiji.” 

“Shun.” 

The man averted his eyes and a bored expression crept over his face. “Good. You made it. Took you long enough.” 

“Where is Reira?” he asked sinister, ignoring whatever little game Shun was trying to play with him. 

“Reira… What a nice name. Let me guess. You were the one who picked it?” 

Reiji simply stared back and Shun let out a sigh. 

“She’s not here.” 

“Where is she?” 

For the first time a little smile tugged at Shun’s mouth. “Why so impatient, Reiji? Don’t you want to have a little chat with me, like we used to?” 

Calmly Reiji readjusted his glasses. “We both know why you have come here. Now what do you want? Do you want me to visit Ruri in the hospital?” 

Shun’s smile widened into a mocking smirk. “And what good would that do? It’s not as though she’d recognise you are there.” At once his expression darkened. “Nor me, for that matter.” 

“Look, Shun, I’m really sorry for what happened. There isn’t a thing in my life I regret more than that.” 

“Yes, maybe”, Shun said with a snort. “But I don’t care about your regret anymore. I want you to feel the same pain I do.” 

Reiji gasped. “I can understand if you hate me, Shun, but leave Reira out of this. She has nothing to do with this.” 

“She is you sister, isn’t she? I guess then she was just unfortunate.” 

“Damn, Shun! She’s just a baby! Do you think Ruri would be glad about what you are doing here?!” 

When Shun met his gaze, his eyes had become hard as flint. “Oh yeah?” he asked in a dreadfully quiet voice. “Well, thanks to you I am no longer able to ask her.” 

Reiji felt the surge of memories rise inside of him again, felt the terrible claws of guilt, slowly digging into his heart. He knew he couldn’t make up for letting Ruri fall. It was a disgrace that would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

“What do I need to do to make you stop, Shun?” he asked weakly. 

The young man raised a brow. “What would you do?” 

Reiji stared at him, at the familiar face of the friend he had spent so much time with. Good times and bad times. Boredom and excitement, joy and sadness… They had shared everything. 

And now Shun’s gaze was so full of hatred and scorn. 

“Everything”, he answered. “I’d do everything.” 

“Then give me my sister back”, Shun said grimly. “If you can do that, I’ll stop.” 

When Reiji didn’t answer, he tilted back his head and gazed at the sky above. 

“Well, actually it’s too late for that anyway”, he sighed. “Come up if you like. You can already see it from here.” 

Reiji’s heart missed a beat. _Too late_? What did that mean? Warily he looked at the edge of the waterfall and then at Shun, but the man didn’t make a move. 

Carefully he began to climb the slippery rock. His earlier estimation proved to be right. The rock face that had appeared like an insurmountable obstacle wasn’t much of a problem for him now. He pulled himself over the edge and straightened up in the water, turning his gaze into the same direction Shun was looking… and froze. 

There was a black cloud of smoke rising from the valley. The mansion was on fire. 

“Hm”, Shun said after a few seconds. “Actually I expected you to run off immediately. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve always been a cold-hearted person. At the decisive moment you fail to do anything, ri-” 

His words turned into a shocked gasp when Reiji’s fist hit him in the face and he tumbled sideward until his back meth the rock face behind him. 

“Is that what has become of you, Shun? Someone who involves innocent children in his stupid quest for vengeance?” 

Shun’s face darkened and he gritted his teeth. “Oh yeah? And what about you?!” he asked, throwing a punch at Reiji. 

Reiji dodged and tried to strike back, but Shun caught his fist before it could hit him. 

“You are just a murderer too, Reiji. Don’t you think that’s fitting for the two of us?” 

Shun threw a punch at his stomach, but Reiji ducked away in time, making Shun’s fist hit his side instead, and sent him tumbling past him. Shun spun around and flung himself at Reiji and both of them went down, water splashing in all directions. 

“Shun, you once told me it’s a big brother’s duty to protect his siblings”, Reiji said as he struggled to shake of Shun’s grip. “Believe me. If I could go back to that day, I would do everything to save your sister. But I cannot change the past. All I can is fight for Reira’s future.” 

Shun let out a choked laugh. “Then why do you waste your time here? Go on and save her.” 

Reiji managed to push him back and roll him around so he came out on top of Shun. 

“Because there is one more person I haven’t been able to protect when I had the chance.” 

Shun cracked a mocking smile. “My, my. You have abandoned yet another one?” 

Reiji drew in a sharp gasp. “You know, today a friend has stopped me from making one of the worst mistakes in my life.” 

He blocked a punch, but Shun used the distraction to knock him off balance and the two of them fell apart. Reiji came to his knees again and took a moment to look at them. Both he and Shun were breathing heavily, their clothes completely soaked by the water. They almost looked like two stupid boys again who got into a fight because of some silly reason. 

“Back then I did nothing to save Ruri and I spent the last four years in regret”, he said. “That’s something I cannot change. But _you_ still have the chance to do something. You don’t need to spend your life regretting what you have done.” 

For a moment Shun’s eyes grew wide as he understood. “You mean the person you want to protect… is me?” He looked away, anger twisting his face again. “Save me your sermon! I don’t want to hear it!” 

“I’m sorry, Shun”, Reiji muttered. “I’m sorry I left you alone. Maybe if I had stayed with you, if I had let you share your pain with me like I was supposed to… Maybe then it wouldn’t have come to this.” 

“Shut up!!” Shun hissed. 

“But… after everything that has happened, I still consider you my friend.” 

“R-Reiji…” 

Shun stared at him and his gaze flickered between the glare of the man who had abducted Reira and the look of the old Shun, the friend he had wanted to see for such a long time. 

“Come, Shun. This is your chance to decide your future. Help me to save Reira.” 

The man averted his eyes, unsettled and also a little reluctant. Reiji wasn’t able to tell if he managed to get through to him, but he had played all his cards. The rest was up to Shun to decide. 

“Al… Alright”, he muttered. “I’m going to help you. But I won’t forgive you just like that.” 

Reiji gave him a nod and got up. “Then let’s go.” 

He looked at the cloud of smoke again, before he jumped down the waterfall. He just hoped they weren’t too late already. 

  


* * *

  


_Sad_

She couldn’t find another word to describe it. She could almost feel the seconds die away. There weren’t many left of what should have been years of lifetime. 

Gently she stroked over the girl’s head. She was so pretty. She was so young. And yet her life was going to end already. 

Smoke was billowing through the gap between the door, clouding the room more and more. Not long and the little girl would die, suffocated by the toxic fumes. 

The only solace Ray could find was that she wasn’t awake. Probably Reiji’s former friend had drugged her with something so she wouldn’t be found this quickly. It had been pure coincidence Ray happened to stumble across her. 

She looked down at the round face, tried to memorise every detail about it, from the large forehead to the tiny dimples in her cheek, tried to carve everything into her mind. And yet it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t picture the years that would’ve followed, she couldn’t imagine her expression while she would listen to her favourite song, what she would say when she’d chat with her friends, what adorable quirks she’d develop. Nothing of that would ever happen. 

She had seen it before. She had seen it so often. People who died before their time had come. It had made her so sad, seeing their little lives flicker a little before going out completely. 

Ray felt a teardrop hitting the back of her hand. 

_I guess Shun still hates me for doing nothing back then. _

Right. She was no different. She had never done anything too. There was nothing she could. In this world she didn’t have enough strength. 

_So, you’re telling me to just stand back? And do nothing? _

_“I’m sorry, Reiji. But this is a fight you cannot win.” _

_Well, sorry, but I’m a sore loser. _

Reiji… She wondered if he was going to hate her. Yes, he surely should. She was such a despicable person. 

_He’s not going to give you Reira just like that. _

_I know. But still I have to go. If there is a way to protect her, then… _

He had fought so hard. He had had the courage to face the shadows of his past. But she… she didn’t have that courage. 

_That is not true. You are not a coward, Ray. _

She gazed down at Reira, the little girl whose time was almost up. Ray knew she was dying. That’s the one thing she had always known. And that knowledge had never turned out wrong.

  


* * *

  


When they reached the mansion, flames were already licking all over the place. They had begun to spread over the roof and the dark shingles cracked in the heat.

The driveway was empty. Reiji hadn’t really dared to hope one of his parents had returned earlier. That never happened. And even if they had, they would’ve assumed Reira was with him and not in the middle of this inferno. 

“Shun! Where is Reira?!” he shouted over the spitting of the fire. 

Shun considered him for a long moment. “Why should you trust me?” he asked. “I could just lie to you and send you to your death.” 

The flames sent a flickering red glow over his face, and yet it was clearly the face of the old Shun. 

“I don’t have any other option but to trust you”, he replied calmly. “And besides, I trust the word of a friend even if my life depends on it.” 

Shun averted his eyes and his mouth twitched annoyed. “Tsk. You are too naïve, Reiji”, he muttered. “She’s in the guestroom.” 

Reiji nodded gratefully before he opened the door. A thick cloud of black smoke enveloped him and made him cough. As he squinted through the fume, he saw the staircase was on fire, but it looked like it would still carry him. His clothes were soaked with water, so they would shield him from the heat for a little while. 

Covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, he ran into the burning house. 

“Reiji! Damn!” he heard Shun swear, followed by another pair of footsteps which bolted up the stairs behind him. 

The smoke burned in Reiji’s eyes as he stumbled through the corridor, keeping his head low so he could see where he was going. He knew it was easy to lose one’s orientation in a fire. 

Reira! All that mattered now was that he found her! Reira, the sweat little baby who had manage to tear down the walls he had built around his heart. Reira, the little sister he had vowed to protect with his life. 

He heard a creak overhead and leapt aside just in time as a burning jolt broke through the ceiling, blocking half of the corridor. He turned around and saw Shun behind him, ducking his head as he squeezed himself past the obstacle. 

“Don’t stop! Go!” he shouted, his voice muffled by the sleeve which covered his mouth. 

He nodded and turned back ahead. There was the door to his room, he noticed, squinting through the smoke, so that meant the guest room had to be right at the end of the corridor. 

His heart missed a beat when he saw the door was blocked by a burning pile of debris already. Nevertheless he walked on and began to lever up one of the jolts. It was hot, he noticed, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care if his hands, if his arms, if his entire body would burn here. 

“What are you doing?” Shun asked. 

“Help me, Shun” he replied, pushing away the jolt. “Reira’s behind this.” 

“It’s too late already.” 

“No! It’s not too late! We can still get to her!” 

He reached for another jolt, flinched back when sparks flew up beneath it, burning his hands, but then he clenched his teeth and went on, slowly pulling it up. 

Suddenly a second pair of hand grabbed the jolt and it came loose and fell to the side. 

“You really are as stupid as back then”, Shun said as he shoved away a few boards. 

“I can’t deny that”, he muttered with a smirk, before the smoke made him cough. 

It grew thicker with every second and made it harder to breathe. And yet, he could only keep going. Reira. Reira was all that mattered. 

They had almost made it, when suddenly there was a creak above them. Reiji looked up and was almost hit by a shingle that came falling down. 

Crap! The roof was caving in! They didn’t have any more time. 

Desperately he tugged at the last jolt, but it was stuck between the floor and the wall one floor higher. Damn! Why?! Why didn’t it move?! 

“Reiji!” Shun shouted and tugged at his shoulder. More shingles came falling down, but he ignored them, tugged even harder. Then, there was an even louder crack and Reiji saw the roof beam coming down. Shun smacked against him and he felt hard glass pressing against his shoulder, before it gave way and cooler air brushed against his skin. 

They landed on the slanted roof of the garden shed and rolled down, falling over the edge and onto the hard ground. Reiji felt his glasses crack as his head landed on them. 

For a moment everything swirled around him, before he remembered. Reira! The roof had collapsed and Reira was still somewhere in there! 

He staggered to his feet, stepped on the old rain barrel and attempted to pull himself onto the garden shed again, when Shun’s hand grabbed his arm. 

“Reiji! What are you doing?!” 

“Reira’s still in there”, he replied and tried to shake off Shun’s grip, but the young man held him in place. “Let go, Shun! Reira! I need to go to her!” 

“It’s too late, Reiji! Won’t that go into your head? I’m sorry, but…” 

“I don’t care!” he shouted and pulled free of his grip. “I am her brother! I need to get to her!” 

Suddenly he heard a piercing cry and froze. It was the angry whining of a baby, but it didn’t come from the house. 

Slowly he turned around. 

Reira was lying at the foot of a nearby tree, crying miserable at the confusing turmoil around her. Beside her Reiji saw the white figure of Ray. She looked at him for a moment before she gave him an insecure smile. 

Reiji walked over to Reira, picked her up and began to rock her gently. After a few seconds the whining ceased and she looked at him with her wide saucer eyes. 

“Niisan?” she sobbed confused. 

“I’m here, Reira”, he muttered. “Everything’s going to be fine.” 

He turned back to Shun who was staring at the girl in complete bewilderment. 

“But… But how…” 

“Shun.” He started at the sound of his name and met Reiji’s eyes. “Would you call the fire brigade, please?” 

Shun blinked for a moment. Then he nodded and turned away, fishing his phone out of his pocket. 

“So, you saved her?” Reiji asked towards Ray. 

She smiled tentatively. _“Yes. I guess so.” _

Reiji sighed relieved. “Thank you, Ray. Without you…” He stopped when she shook her head. 

_“It was thanks to you”_, she muttered and her gaze trailed off into the distance. _“So often… so often did I watch people die, but I always thought the way I am now I didn’t have the strength to save them. I cursed my own helplessness.” _

She sighed and turned back to him. _“But now I realised I was wrong. Your words gave me the strength to do it.” _

Reiji couldn’t find any words to say. Ray’s face had turned into the most wonderful, genuine smile he had ever seen. He found something inside of him was melting, a barrier that had held back his feelings, and suddenly he felt tears rolling off his cheeks and falling down on his sleeve. 

_“Thank you, Reiji”_, she whispered and leaned forward, brushing a kiss on his cheek. Then she leaned down and kissed Reira’s forehead. _“And you as well, Reira-chan. I wish you may have a long and happy life.” _

She turned around and walked away with slow, peaceful steps. 

“W-Wait”, Reiji called out to her, wiping over his eyes. “Where are you going?” 

She turned her head and smiled serenely. _“My time in this world has come to an end”_, she said. _“Now, I will go and see Zarc in the afterlife. After all, he’s been waiting for three-hundred years already.” _

Reiji ducked his head. So this was the moment they said goodbye, wasn’t it? 

“Ray, I… I am glad that I met you.” 

Her smile grew wide. _“So am I”_, she whispered. 

She raised her head, closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. The edges of her dress began to disappear first, simply growing more and more translucent, followed by her legs, her chest, the long, wine-red hair that flowed down her back, and at last her head, gradually fading away, until only a faint echo was left. And a moment later even that was gone. 

A single white papillon flapped its wings where she had stood. Insecurely it came closer and landed on Reira’s head for a moment. When the girl tried to reach for it, it fluttered away and drifted off into the meadows. 

Reiji gazed after it even long after it had disappeared. Slowly his fingers wandered to his cheek. It had been a faint touch, and yet it had felt so unbelievably warm and gentle. He sighed and looked down at Reira who gazed at him, her mouth slightly open. 

“It’s over, Reira-chan”, he muttered. “You are safe now.” 

  


* * *

  


The mansion burned down completely. When the fire brigade arrived, most of the main building had collapsed already and they had merely prevented the fire from spreading to the trees or the garden.

Reiji had spent most of his life here and he knew seeing all of that go up in flames should affect him, but somehow he didn’t feel very sad about it. 

He was alive and Reira and Shun as well. That was everything that mattered. After the paramedics had checked on them and found the amount of smoke they inhaled wasn’t dangerous, they sat down on a patch of lawn and gazed over to the black ruin. 

Shun was surprisingly quiet and his gaze was distant. Reiji didn’t want to inquire him. Probably he had a lot to think about. 

“Reiji, I…” 

“Don’t worry. I’m not angry at you.” 

“W-Why not?” Shun asked confused. 

Reiji took a deep breath. He really didn’t feel angry, he noticed. There was just a sense of serenity and calmness. 

“It’s just a house”, he said. “Just a box full of old stuff I didn’t need anyway. Now I’ll just have to… you know, turn the page and start the next chapter.” 

A tentative smile crept over his face when he imagined his mother’s reaction. She’d be furious about the destruction of the library. Although she had only married in, she had always been very proud of it, of the entire knowledge the Akaba family had gathered over the course of several centuries, as she’d put it. Reiji did sympathise with that love of books. He had spent weeks reading when he had been younger, although lately he had been too focused on learning. 

He remembered the grimoire he had dropped when he had fled from the library. Probably it had burned to ashes. Well, at least that was one book he was glad he wouldn’t see again. 

“I’m sorry”, Shun muttered, as though to no one in particular. 

Reiji gave him a curious glance and he looked away. 

“When you… When you wanted to run back into the fire to save her, I… I couldn’t help but notice I would’ve done the same if it was for Ruri.” 

Reiji felt a smile tugging at his lips. “Of course”, he said. “In the end we’re both just foolish brothers who care about their little sisters, right?” 

Shun’s face grew softer and he began to smile too. “Yeah.” 

After a brief pause he heard quick footsteps on the garden path. 

“Reiji-san! Reira-chan! Are you alright?!” his mother asked breathless when he turned around. 

Reiji noticed her normally fastidiously neat hair was a little ruffled and her strict façade had for once made way for a worried expression. 

“It’s okay, mother. We didn’t get hurt.” That was, apart from his and Shun’s hands which were covered in bandages now. 

“Ah, thank goodness”, she sighed relieved. “Now, what exactly happened?” 

Reiji drew in a deep breath. “I have to apologise, mother. I got careless.” 

“But, Reiji!” Shun interrupted him. 

“Fortunately Shun has seen the smoke and arrived in time to get Reira-chan and me out.” 

His mother looked at Shun who stared back with an uncomprehending expression. “Then I really am indebted to you, Kurosaki-kun. Thank you very much for saving my children.” 

Shun blinked, before his face turned very uncomfortable and flustered and Reiij couldn’t help but grin a little. 

“It’s enough, mother. You’re embarrassing him.” 

  


* * *

  


Torpidly Shun shuffled along the corridor.

This hadn’t turned out like he had planned. He had wanted… what? Listen to Reiji’s painful scream when he realised he couldn’t save his sister? See the eyes behind those glasses flash with hatred when they turned to him? 

He couldn’t remember what exactly it had been. It didn’t matter anyway, did it? He had failed. Although it would’ve been so easy. He could’ve restrained Reiji at the brook, could’ve let him watch from afar, helpless. He could’ve let him run into the fire alone or sent him to the wrong room and waited for him to die in the fire. He could’ve abandoned him in front of the door, making him discover the feeling of being betrayed. 

Instead, he had _saved_ him. Despite his determination to take revenge for Ruri, he hadn’t been able to go through with it. Part of him had refused to do it. Maybe… Maybe he really did sympathise with Reiji. 

No! This was Reiji! Reiji who hadn’t moved a finger when Ruri was in danger! He couldn’t just let go of the hatred he had harboured for four years. For Ruri, he had to… 

_Do you think Ruri would be glad about what you are doing here?! _

Shun’s feet stopped abruptly. 

“Ruri, you… You’d be disappointed of your big brother, wouldn’t you?” he muttered and ducked his head. “I’m such a fool to think you’d be happy about that. I’m sorry.” 

He let the air escape his lungs, before he drew in a new breath and looked up at the sign on the door he was standing in front of. 

_Kurosaki Ruri_

He shook his head, trying to shake off his blame and self-pity as well, and put on a smile has he reached for the handle. Of course she wouldn’t see it, but he thought he ought to bring her as much good mood as he was able to. 

“Hello, I’m back, Ru-”

His voice caught and suddenly his feet felt as though they were stuck to the ground. His vision began to blur and hastily he brought up his hand to wipe away the tears that were forming in his eyes. 

“Nii…chan?” 

The hoarse, frail sound of the voice should’ve been disturbing, but still his heart felt like it was bursting with a sudden, indescribable warmth. It was without mistaking the voice he had longed to hear again. 

“Welcome home, Ruri”, he whispered. 

  


* * *

  


“Time’s up. Please put away your pens.”

Reiji didn’t move. He had finished the exam already ten minutes ago and he was certain most of his answers were correct. 

As people walked around and collected everyone’s sheets, the obligatory chatter began. Students laughed nervously as they compared their answers. A few were making an unhappy face. 

Reiji let his gaze wander through the room without any particular interest. It hadn’t been a very hard test, he thought, although some of the questions had irritated him at first. It looked like there were others who had had more problems than he did. He sighed and began to pack his stuff. 

As he was about to leave the row, he suddenly bumped against someone and they stumbled back. 

“Oh, I beg your pardon…” he began when his tongue turned into a knot. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve watched where I was going”, the woman said, brushing a strand of her long, dark red hair behind her ear. Then she noticed his stare. 

“Say… do I know you?” he asked carefully. 

She made a clueless face. “Umm… No. I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” 

He considered her for another second. Then he put on an excusing smile. “I’m sorry. You just look like someone I know.” 

She hummed confused when a voice made her turn. 

“I’m coming, Kumi”, she shouted before flicking back to Reiji. “Well then, see you.” 

And with a flap of her twin-tails she had sprinted to the woman who was waiting at the exit. Reiji watched after her until she was out of sight. How strange he hadn’t noticed her before, he thought. A sudden push against his back reminded him that he was blocking the way and he quickly walked towards the exit. 

He decided to skip lunch and grab something at the grocery store instead. Maybe he’d also buy some chocolate for Reira. After all it was her fourth birthday today. 

**Author's Note:**

> Before I forget: Reiji’s invocation is based on the First Conjuration in the Lesser Key of Salomon.


End file.
